Foodie Road Trip: Brenham

Where to eat in Brenham, Blue Bell's city

For many Texans, Brenham is synonymous with the Blue Bell creamery, but this charming town also boasts a burgeoning craft beer scene and several family-run wineries worth a tour.

Blue Bell Country Store and Ice Cream Parlor, 1101 S. Blue Bell Road, 800-327-8135, bluebell.com
Although tours haven’t resumed following the company’s food safety woes, you can still visit the creamery and gift shop, where you’ll learn about Blue Bell’s history and choose from two dozen varieties of ice cream at just $1 a scoop.

Brazos Valley Brewery Company, 201 W. 1st St., 979-987-1133, brazosvalleybrewery.com
Open only on weekends, this craft beer company is operated by a six-man team and produces three signature beers and three seasonal beers, including the 7 Spanish Angels Coffee Brown ale and a Big Spoon Tres Leches stout. Tours of the brewery are free with the purchase of a $4.50 beer.

Home Sweet Farm Market & Biergarten, 307 S. Park St., 979-530-7994, homesweetfarm.com
Attached to an organic market located in a historic building, this biergarten offers the largest selection of craft beer in Washington County with nearly 40 brews. Live music on Fridays and Saturdays and artisan cheese plates add to the experience.

Windy Winery, 4232 Clover Road, 979-836-3252, windywinery.com
This boutique winery is owned by a self-taught couple who has been in the industry since the 1980s. Open on weekends, you can choose to taste five of the 16 wines offered for $16. Don’t miss the sweet Jal-Spice or the Lady Lavender, a semisweet wine made with blanc du bois grapes infused with lavender.

Pleasant Hill Winery, 1441 Salem Road, 979-830-8463, pleasanthillwinery.com
Part of the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail, this winery lives up to the name. A visit during springtime comes with vistas of fields in full bloom. Pack a picnic, join a tour and request the port wine and chocolate pairing. On your way out, visit the quirky gift shop to see a collection of vintage corkscrews.

This article appears in the September 2016 issue of San Antonio Magazine